News

The German-Moldovan Agricultural Policy Dialogue (APD Moldova), capitalizing on its unique agricultural network, continued to connect Moldovan agricultural administration with EU Member States, creating opportunities for policy exchange, technical cooperation and practical support for the EU agricultural reform agenda of Moldova.

As a well-established platform for dialogue and knowledge-sharing on EU-relevant topics, the 11^th EU Mentoring Group on 3 September 2026 focused on the new EU Soil Monitoring Law (SML). Particular attention was given to the evolution of EU soil policy, the requirements for monitoring soil health and condition, and the importance of harmonised soil data across EU.

As part of its ongoing support to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, APD Moldova organized a multi-stakeholder meeting dedicated to the development of an agricultural risk management framework within the National Agricultural Resilience Programme for 2027–2030.

As a well-established and valued platform for dialogue and knowledge-sharing on EU-relevant topics, the 10th EU Mentoring Group focused on the development of an effective and integrated Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS). Particular attention was given to the role of knowledge-transfer, mutual learning, education, advisory services, research, and innovation in supporting a modern and sustainable agricultural sector aligned with EU standards.

As a well-established and valued platform for dialogue and knowledge-sharing on EU-relevant topics, the 9^th EU Mentoring Group focused on the accreditation process of the Paying Agency. Special attention was drawn on the perspective of the national auditing process for accreditation.

More details: https://www.apd-moldova.de/event/9th-eu-mentoring-group-austrian-experiences-on-the-accreditation-process-of-the-paying-agency/

The 3^rd Project Steering Committee (PSC) of the German-Moldovan Agricultural Policy Dialogue (APD Moldova) took place on March 6. The PSC benefitted from the participation of Minister Ludmila Catlabuga and Secretary General Sergiu Gherciu from the Moldovan Ministry of Agriculgture and Food Industry, but also from Mrs. Cornelia Berns, Mrs. Verena Hedtke, and Mr. Stephan Framke from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Regional Identity of Germany, as well as from Ralf Rogowski from the GFA Consulting Group.

APD Moldova is contributing to the enhancement of agricultural risk management in the Republic of Moldova by supporting the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry (MAIA) with sound analysis and policy options for a comprehensive agricultural risk management framework for insurable climatic and sanitary risk.

Pursuing the goal of advancing Moldova’s agricultural preparedness for EU accession, 2025 was yet another eventful year for the German-Moldovan Agricultural Policy Dialogue (www.apd-moldova.de) and for our partners: the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, the Agency for Interventions and Payment in Agriculture, the National Food Safety Agency, and the Technical University of Moldova.

The 8th Mentoring Group benefited from Senior Expert Richard Moody, who shared insights on Unfair Trade Practices in the Food Supply Chain and provided practical steps taken by EU Member States to apply and implement the EU Directive 2019/633.

More details:https://www.apd-moldova.de/event/8th-mentoring-group-experiences-from-eu-member-states-on-implementing-eu-directive-on-unfair-trade-practices-in-the-agri-food-supply-chain/

The Technical University of Moldova (UTM) aims to identify the best solutions for the efficient use of the 570 hectares of agricultural land, in line with European practices, in order to enhance their utilization for academic, research, and commercial purposes.

More details: https://www.apd-moldova.de/event/exploring-european-solutions-for-modernizing-the-agricultural-research-and-education-center/

As part of our ongoing support for the Republic of Moldova’s EU integration efforts, the German-Moldovan Agricultural Policy Dialogue (APD Moldova) organized a workshop for representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry (MAIA) and the Agency for Intervention and Payments for Agriculture (AIPA), focused on best practices in governance for the agriculture sector in the EU.

As part of its continued support to Moldova’s preparedness for EU accession in the agriculture sector, the 7^th EU Mentoring Group on 30 October 2025 focused on the implementation of the EU Nitrates Directive, a key policy instrument for protecting water resources from agricultural pollution.

APD Moldova is advancing its support for aligning higher education in Moldova with European Union standards. From October 7–10, 2025, a mission with Professor Stephan von Cramon-Taubadel from the University of Göttingen and Professor Klaus Erdle from the University of Bingen is supporting the Faculty of Agricultural, Forestry and Environment Sciences (FAFES) of the Technical University of Moldova (TUM).

As part of the ongoing efforts to strengthen Moldova’s agricultural administration on their path into the EU, APD Moldova organized the 6th EU Mentoring Group on July 10, continuing a valuable tradition of knowledge exchange with EU Member States.

APD’s support on harmonizing with the EU is happening on all fronts. From May 27-30, 2025, APD Moldova organized Professor Dr. Thomas Blaha and Dr. Martin Hartmann, two veterinary and food safety experts to review the curriculum of the Faculty for Veterinary Medicine at the Technical University (TUM) of Moldova.

A delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry (MAIA), the Agency for Intervention and Payments for Agriculture (AIPA), and the National Food Safety Agency (ANSA) participated in a study tour to Brussels from May 19-23, 2025.

5th EU Mentoring Group on State Aids and the De Minimis Rule

Reflecting on the first full year of APD Moldova, 2024 stands out as a pivotal year in advancing Moldova’s agri-food sector.

On December 5, 2024, APD Moldova hosted the fourth session of the EU Mentoring Group, continuing its mission to strengthen the Agricultural Administration of the Republic of Moldova through valuable exchanges of experience and knowledge with EU Member States.

Between November 10-14, 2024, APD Moldova organized a study tour for participants of the Moldovan livestock sector at the EuroTier 2024, a renowned international event dedicated to the livestock sector, held biennially in Hanover, Germany.

As part of APD’s activities on promoting academic cooperation, a week of lectures are planned at the Technical University in Moldova on November 4-8, 2024. The daily lectures will be opened to students at the Faculty for Agricultural, Forest and Environment Sciences and the Veterinary Medicine Faculty, as well as to staff of the Moldovan agricultural administration. The participants will benefit from the knowledge and experience of Europe’s top experts on the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and on EU Food Safety requirements: (i) Professor Stephan von Cramon-Taubadel leads the Department for Agricultural Economics and Rural Development at the University of Göttingen, and (ii) Richard Moody, is a lawyer and leading food safety expert.

On September 26, 2024, APD Moldova organized the third meeting of the EU Mentoring Group for the Agricultural Administration of the Republic of Moldova.

In the framework of the Conference on “Smallholder Inclusion in Agri-Food Value Chains” on September 12, 2024, an electronic survey (mentimeter) was conducted at several stages of the event. It enabled the 300+ (small) farmers to actively participate and react to the presentations made by the international and local senior officials.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry of the Republic of Moldova (MAIA), in partnership with the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the German-Moldovan Agricultural Policy Dialogue (www.apd-moldova.de) project, hosted a landmark conference on strengthening small farmers’ inclusion in agri-food value chains on Thursday, September 12, 2024 at the Palace of the Republic in Chisinau.

APD Moldova is supporting the initiative of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry (MAIA) to establish a Chamber of Agriculture in Moldova. Following the study tour for Moldovan agriculture representatives on June 2-7, which was organized by APD Moldova together with Chemonics (USAID) and showcased best practices of the Chambers of Agriculture in Germany and Austria, the consultations in 10 rural regions of Moldova take place from July 4-11, 2024.

Moldovan agriculture representatives gain insights on the Chambers of Agriculture in Germany and Austria during a dedicated study visit.

The 2nd EU Mentoring Group for the Moldovan agriculture administration convened virtually on May 29, 2024.

On Saturday, May 18, 2024, the German-Moldovan Agricultural Policy Dialogue (APD Moldova), in partnership with the EU-Moldova Association Project and the EU-funded High-Level Advisor for Agriculture organized a full-day workshop on EU Harmonization of agriculture and rural development (Chapter 11 of the Acquis) for the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry (MAIA).

The APD Moldova Project functions as the Secretariat for the EU Mentoring Group with the objective to foster the transfer of knowledge and experience from EU Member States to the staff of the Moldovan Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry (MAFI), the paying agency AIPA, and the National Food Safety Agency (ANSA).

The “German-Moldovan Agricultural Policy Dialogue” (APD) project was officially launched on Monday, February 12, 2024, marking a significant step in bilateral cooperation.

The APD Moldova team participated during the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) and International Green Week from January 17-20, 2024 in Berlin.